Microbial identification is scientific method of precise and definitive detection of microorganisms, such as bacteria, pathogen, and viruses. Microbial identification method is widely adopted in heath care and treatment such as disease diagnosis, infection treatments and identification of disease epidemic related with microbial infections. Some of the other applications of bacterial identification include microbial forensics, food safety, potable water safety, crime detection and investigations, bioterrorism identification and various other environmental studies such as soil pollution and air pollution.

Microbial identification is used extensively by governments or private institute, food manufactures, water treatment plants, beverages manufactures and other research laboratories.

Microbial identification is performed by two techniques namely phenotypic method and genotypic method. On the basis of various application of microbial identification the global microbial identification market can be broadly categorize in four broad segments namely, diagnostic application (human disease diagnosis and animal disease diagnosis), food and beverage testing, pharmaceuticals application, and environment application.

On the basis of products categories the global microbial identification market can be broadly classified in consumables (such as kits, plates and channel), instruments and software (such as precision microscopes and spectrometer, microarray, and digital microbial identification instruments), and services (such as microbe detection). Consumable segment grasped the highest market share in 2013, attributed mainly to the user friendly working principal of conventional microbial identification methods.

The ongoing technical advancements in precise accuracy and speed of microbial identification equipments coupled growing number of diseases due to harmful microorganism and stiff food safety regulation are some of the dominant driver for the global microbial identification market. Moreover initiative from policymakers, and rising healthcare expenditure is expected to boost global microbial identification market in upcoming years.

Rigid and complicated regulatory frameworks in many parts of the world, coupled with high price of microbial identification instruments are putting the challenge for overall growth of global microbial identification market.

North America is the largest market for global microbial identification market followed by Europe and Asia Pacific and rest of the world (RoW). Asia Pacific is exhibiting the highest growth over the past few years attributed mainly to the rising consumers concern towards health and food safety. Moreover government initiative regarding food and water contamination has also helped the market over the years.